Mining machine with radially adjustable boring arm



Jan. l0, 1956 w. w. sLoANE 2,730,345

MINING MACHINE WITH RADIALLY ADJUSTABLE BORING ARM Filed Dec. 1'7, 19522 Sheets-Sheet 1 lll/:x Y A INVENTOR.

WILLIAM VV. SLOANE ATTO RN EY Jan. 10, 1956 w. w. SLOANE 2,730,345

MINING MACHINE WITH RADIALLY ADJUSTABLE BORING ARM Filed Dec. 17, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet 2 6l 7| |572 6o 66 l INVENTOR. WlLLIAM W. SLGANE ATTORNEYUnited States Patenftif-O ce MENING MACHINE WITH RADIALLY ADJUST- ABLEBORING ARM William W. Sloane, Chicago, Ill., assignor to GoodmanManufacturing Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Illinois Thisinvention relates to improvements in mining machines adapted to removecoal or similar material from the face of the mine, and moreparticularly to mining machines of the type having one or more laterallyspaced, radial boring arms with cutting devices thereon adapted to cutbores in advance of the machine. The present invention is especiallydesigned as an improvement over the form of mining machine disclosed inthe application of Frank Cartlidge and Frank A. Lindgren, Serial Number255,058, filed November 6, 1951, owned by the assignee of the presentinvention wherein the cutter bit supports on the outer ends of theboring arms are telescopically mounted for endwise extension by powermeans operating from the supporting frame of the rotatable boring memberand effective through the drive shaft for said rotatable boring elementto adjust the extension of the radial arms while the boring element isin operation.

'i he principal object of the present invention is to provide animproved form of adjusting mechanism for both extension and retractionof the arms radially of the boring element while the latter is inoperation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear fromtime to time as the following description proceeds.

The invention may best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along thevertical plane passing through the axis of rotation of a boring elementconstructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a front end View of the in Figure l; v

Figure 3 is a detailed section taken on line 3-3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a detailed section taken on line 4 4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken longitudinally of theaxis of rotation of the boring element and showing a variant form ofplanetary drive gearing which can be used in connection with myinvention.

Referring now to details of the embodiment of my invention shown inFigures 1 to 4, a mining machine support or frame is indicated generallyat at the front end of which is mounted a boring element indicatedgenerally at 11 adapted to be rotated by power on a generally horizontalaxis in advance of the mining machine. In practice, machines of the kindto which my invention relates frequently have two or more similar boringelements rotating on parallel axes so as to cut contiguous bores. Sincemy present invention is directed more particularly to features of asingle boring element, only one such boring element need be shown ordescribed herein.

The boring element 11, shown in Figure l, consists of a radiallyelongated, hollow supporting frame 12 having an integral hub 13rotatable in suitable bearings 14 in a gear housing 15 secured to thefront end of the main support 10. The cutter arm support 12 is generallyhollow and has a pair of radially extending cutter arms 16, 16

boring element shown 2,730,345 Patented Jan. 10, 1956 mounted forendwise telescopic movement relative thereto. Each cutter arm has acutter bit support 17 on its outer end, extending at a right angleforwardly therefrom, and having a plurality of detachable cutter bits18, 18 at its inner, outer and forward end portions.

The boring element 11 may also be provided with a tapered drill-likemember projecting forwardly concentric with the hub 13.

The inner ends of the radially extending cutter arms 16, 16 aretelescopically adjustable in the hollow frame 12 along two parallelguideways 20, 20 formed closely adjacent each other on opposite sides ofthe axis of rotation of the boring element (see Figure 3). Theseguideways have wear plates 21 and 22 along the side and front innerfaces thereof, engaged by bolts 23, 23 in the hollow frame for adjustingsaid wear plates relative to the cutter arms when necessary. Each of theguideways 20 has a vertically extending slot 25 opening rearwardly alongits inner face through which extend a bracket 26 fixed to the rear faceof the respective telescoping arm 16. Each of the brackets 26 has anenlarged end portion 27 in which is threaded a screw shaft 28.

As will be seen from Figure l, each screw shaft 2S has its outer endjournalled in a bearing support 29 carried on the inner face of thehollow frame 12 adjacent the aperture 3G through which its respectivecutter arm 16 projects. The inner end of each screw shaft 23 isjournalled in a pair of bearing supports 31, 32 projecting inwardly andfixed to the end of the side face of the hollow frame 12. The two screwshafts 28, 2S rotate on parallel, laterally spaced axes, but aredisposed in endwise oset relation to each other toward opposite ends ofthe hollow frame. l

The hub 13 of the boring element has an adjusting shaft 35 extendingaxially therethrough and journalled on longitudinally spaced bearings 36and 37 therein. The outer end of the adjusting shaft 35 may also have areduced end portion 38 journalled in a cross web 39 of the hollow frame12, which cross web also forms a part of the guideways 20 for the cutterarms 16. A worm 40 is fixed 011 the outer end of the shaft 35inengagement with worm wheels d1, 41 lixed on the two screw shafts 28,28 between their respective bearing supports 31 and 32.

The dual sets of worm gearing and screw shafts are arranged to causesimultaneous telescopic extension or retraction of the cutter arms 16,16 in the hollow frame 12 when the adjusting shaft 3S is rotated in oneAdirection or the other.

The hub 13 of the boring element may be driven through any suitablepower-driven gearing, in the form shown in Figure 1 a gear 45 beingfixed on the hub intermediate its ends, and driven by a gear 46 on shaft47, from any suitable power source on the supporting frame 10.

Referring now to the means for operatively connecting the hub 13 withthe adjusting shaft 3S so as to rotate the latter in one direction orthe other mainly by power from said hub, I provide a planetary gearmechanism generally indicated at 50, having one element operativelyconnected with the hub 13 of said boring element, a second elementoperatively connected with the adjusting shaft 35 and a third elementarranged for positive rotation by power in one direction or the otherunder the control of the operator.

In the illustrative form of planetary mechanism shown in Figure l, abevel gear 51, forming one element of the planetary system, is fixed onthe adjusting shaft 35 and is meshed with a plurality of planetary gears52, 52, herein three in number, mounted in a cage 53, which cage formsthe second element of the planetary. Said cage is loosely mounted on theinner end of the hub 13. The planetary gears 52 are also meshed with adouble bevel gear 54 loosely mounted on the hub, which last-named gear,forms` a third element of the planetary. Bevel f gear 54 is driven fromthe hub 13 through a bevel gear 55 supported on a pinM 56 fixed on thehousing 15 and meshed with a bevel gear 57 carried on the hub near itsouter end. Y

'.Rotation of 'thecageSS is effected by a reversible motor (notfshown)under control of the operator in any conventional manner, and connectedthrough a shaft 60 having a pinion 61 thereon meshed with external gearteeth 62 formed about the cage 53.

As will be seen from Figure 1, the bevel gears i), 54 and 57 are all ofthe same pitch diameter. Assuming that the cage 53 is held stationary bythe motorshaft 60, the bevel gear 55 serves as an idler to rotate gear54 in the opposite direction at the same speed. The planetary gears 52will also serve as idlers to rotate the bevel gear 51 fixed to shaft 35at the same speed and in the same direction as the hub 13. Accordingly,so long as the control motor connected to shaft 60 is deenergized andsaid shaft is maintained in a stationary position, the adjusting shaft35 will rotate in unison with the boring element as a whole, withoutcausing any rotation of the two screw shafts 28 which effect endwisemovement of the telescoping cutter arms 16, 16. When the control motorconnected to control shaft 60 is rotated in one direction however,pinion 61 will tu-rn the cage 53 bodily in the same direction so as torotate the cage into a new angular position. This change in angularposition will be reflected in either a corresponding speed-up orreduction in speed of the bevel gear 51 with respect to the bevel gear54 so as to cause rotation of the adjusting shaft 35 and worm 40relative to the hub 13, thereby causing uniform rotation of the twoscrew shafts 28. Rotation of the screw shafts 28, in turn, produceinward or outward movement of the arms 16, depending upon the directionin which the screw shafts are rotated.

The variant form of planetary gear mechanism shown in Figure 5 issimilar in principle to that shown in Figure 1 but uses spur gearsinstead of bevel gears. In this case, a spurgear 65 is keyed on theadjusting shaft 35 and is meshed with aplurality of planetary gears 66on a cage 67. The cage is loosely mounted on the adjusting shaft 35. Theplanetary gears 66 are also meshed with an internal gear 68 on a gearmember 69, also loosely mounted on the shaftv 35. The gear member 69carries a second internal gear 70 meshed withta pinion 71 on stub shaft72 fixed to the gear casing 15. The pinion 71 is also meshed with a gear73 on the inner end of the boring element hub 13.

The planetary gear. mechanism of Figure 5 has such gear ratios that,when the cage 67 is held stationary by and hub 13 will rotate at thesame speed and in the same direction. -Any change in angular position ofthe cage'67 by rotating the control shaft will be reflected in either acorresponding speed-up or reduction in speed of the adjusting shaft 35relative to the hub 13 so as to produce an inward or outward movementofthe arms 16, depending upon which direction the control shaft isrotated.

Although I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention,it will be understood that I do not wishto be limited to the exactconstruction shown and described, but that various changes andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In a mining machine having a frame and a power-driven boring elementrotatably mounted thereon, including a hub and at least one cuttercarrying arm adjustable radially of said hub, means for adjusting theposition of the arm relative to said hubincluding a shaft extendingconcentrically through .an axially of said hub and operably connectedwith the arm at the front end thereof to move the latter in response torotation of the shaft relative to the hub, the improvement comprising afirst gear fixed on said shaft, a planetary gear meshed with said firstgear and journalled on a carrier concentrically mounted with respect tosaid hub and shaft, a second gear rotatably mounted concentrically withthe first gear, the shaft and the hub, and also meshed with saidplanetary gear, a third gear journalled on the frame and meshed with thesecond gear, and a fourth gear fixed on the hub and meshed with the said,third gear, and means for rotating said carrier reversely about theaxis of said hub and shaft, including a control shaft disposed on anaxis parallel with the axis of said hub and shaft.

References vCtedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 584,422Smith June l5, 1897 1,333,491 Hughes Mar. 9, 1920 1,335,723 CampbellApr. 6, 1920 1,603,621 McKnlay Oct. 19, 1926 1,726,963 McKinlay Sept. 3,1929 1,953,402 Graham Apr. 3, 1934 1,993,948 Schroeder Mar. 12, 19351,999,091 v.Ebert Apr. 23, 1935 2,367,555 Arney Jan. 16, 1945 2,370,675McCoy Mar. 6, 1945 2,392,556 Seppeler Jan. 8, 1946 2,657,916 Von StrohNov. 3, 1952

